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Learn about quantum mechanics, black holes, dark matter, plasma, particle accelerators, the Large Hadron Collider and other key Theoretical Physics topics. The Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics holds morning sessions consisting of three talks, pitched to explain an area of our research to an audience familiar with physics at about second-year undergraduate level.
| # | Episode Title | Description | People | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86 | The Miracle of Quantum Error Correction | In this talk, Benedikt Placke introduces QEC and explains how the unique interplay between the classical and the quantum world enables us to efficiently correct errors effecting such systems. | Benedikt Placke | 15 Mar 2024 | |
| 85 | Simulating physics beyond computer power | In this talk Alessio Lerose discusses the seminal idea of simulating Nature via a controllable quantum system rather than a classical computer. He discusses recent advances that brought us closer to the ultimate goal of a universal quantum simulator. | Alessio Lerose | 15 Mar 2024 | |
| 84 | A liquid of quarks and gluons | Jasmine Brewer covers recent progress on studying the properties of the quark-gluon plasma, and describe how we can capitalize on lessons learned from high-energy physics to provide new insights on this novel material. | Jasmine Brewer | 15 Mar 2024 | |
| 83 | Possible sources for the gravitational wave background | Dr Yonadav Barry Ginat - Possible sources for the gravitational wave background | Yonadav Barry Ginat | 28 Nov 2023 | |
| 82 | Searching for the origin of black hole mergers in the Universe with gravitational waves | Prof Bence Kocsis - Searching for the origin of black hole mergers in the Universe with gravitational waves | Bence Kocsis | 28 Nov 2023 | |
| 81 | Gravitational radiation: an overview | Prof Steven Balbus - Gravitational radiation: an overview | Steven Balbus | 28 Nov 2023 | |
| 80 | How the weird and wonderful properties of magnetised laser plasmas could ignite fusion-energy research | Archie Bott explains how a promising scheme for fusion relies on a novel feature of hot laser-plasmas: introducing a magnetic field of the correct strength alters the plasma’s fundamental properties in a highly counterintuitive yet beneficial manner. | Archie Bott | 02 Jun 2023 | |
| 79 | Stellarators: twisty tokamaks that could be the future of fusion | Georgia Acton introduces stellarators, discusses the features that distinguish them from tokamaks, highlight the challenges we currently face, and discusses how we might overcome them. | Georgia Acton | 02 Jun 2023 | |
| 78 | Magnetic confinement fusion: Science that’s hotter than a Kardashian Instagram post | Michael Barnes introduces the basic concepts behind magnetic confinement fusion, he describes why it is so challenging and discusses possibilities for the future. | Michael Barnes | 02 Jun 2023 | |
| 77 | The spaghettification of stars by supermassive black holes: understanding one of nature’s most extreme events | The spaghettification of stars by supermassive black holes: understanding one of nature’s most extreme events - Andrew Mummery | Andrew Mummery | 03 Mar 2023 | |
| 76 | Extreme value statistics and the theory of rare events | Extreme value statistics and the theory of rare events - Francesco Mori | Francesco Mori | 03 Mar 2023 | |
| 75 | Inflation and the Very Early Universe | Inflation and the Very Early Universe - Georges Obied | Georges Obied | 03 Mar 2023 | |
| 74 | Axion Searches from Black Holes to the Basement | Professor John March-Russell talks about the search possibilities for axions including many current and near future ultra-precise quantum `table top' experiments in the Beecroft basement. | John March-Russell | 01 Dec 2022 | |
| 73 | Axion Electrodynamics in Solid-State Materials | Professor Siddharth Parameswaran gives the second talk on Axions. | Siddharth Parameswaran | 01 Dec 2022 | |
| 72 | The Axion: How Angles Become Particles | Professor Joseph Conlon introduces the general idea of axions: particles associated to fields which are valued on a circle rather than a real line. | Joseph Conlon | 01 Dec 2022 | |
| 71 | Fluid-gravity duality and hydrodynamics of black holes | Holography explains why black hole horizons have thermodynamic and hydrodynamic properties and inspires researchers to re-visit foundations and explore limits of relativistic hydrodynamics | Andrei Starinets, Julia Yeomans | 29 Apr 2021 | |
| 70 | Hydrodynamics of Quantum Many-Body Systems Out of Equilibrium | Can we apply hydrodynamics to systems with extensively many conservation laws | Bruno Bertini | 29 Apr 2021 | |
| 69 | Why Hydrodynamics? | What is hydrodynamics and why does it apply over 20 orders of magnitude in energy and length. | Steve Simon, Julia Yeomans | 29 Apr 2021 | |
| 68 | Strings and Fields | Will strings be the theory of everything?, presented by Prof Luis Fernando Alday. | Luis Fernando Alday | 16 Jan 2021 | |
| 67 | Classical and Quantum Black Holes | Prof March-Russell explains our latest understanding of black holes, some of the most mysterious objects in the Universe. | John March-Russell | 16 Jan 2021 | |
| 66 | Why is Quantum Gravity so hard? | A pressing question in our quest to understand the Universe is how to unify quantum mechanics and gravity, the very small and the very large. | John Wheater | 16 Jan 2021 | |
| 65 | Machine learning techniques in modern quantum-mechanics experiments | In this talk, Dr Elliott Bentine shall discuss how recent experiments have exploited machine-learning techniques, both to optimize the operation of these devices and to interperet the data they produce. | Elliott Bentine | 22 Mar 2020 | |
| 64 | Machine Learning and String Theory | Professor Andre Lukas will discuss how string theorists have started to use methods from data science - particularly machine learning - to analyse the vast landscape of string data. | Andre Lukas | 22 Mar 2020 | |
| 63 | An Introduction to deep learning | Professor Ard Louis gives a basic introduction to deep learning for physicists and addresses a few questions such as: Is the hype around deep learning justified, or are we about to hit some fundamental limitations? | Ard Louis | 22 Mar 2020 | |
| 62 | Welcome by Ian Shipsey Head of the Department of Physics | Ian Shipsey give an update on the department and introduces the next three talk on 'AI in Physics'. | Ian Shipsey | 22 Mar 2020 | |
| 61 | Cosmic acceleration revealed by Type la supernovae? | In this talk Subir Sarkar will explain how deflagration supernovae have been used to infer that the Hubble expansion rate is accelerating, and critically assess whether the acceleration is real and due to `dark energy’. | Subir Sarkar | 01 Nov 2019 | |
| 60 | Supernova Explosions and their Role in the Universe | In this talk, Philipp Podsiadlowski will explain how this energy (sometimes) creates a visible fireball, before going on to explain the role of supernovae in the production of the heaviest elements in the periodic table. | Philipp Podsiadlowski | 01 Nov 2019 | |
| 59 | What makes stars go bang? | In this talk, James Binney will outline the physics that leads to prodigeous release of energy in core-collapse and deflagration supernovae. | James Binney | 01 Nov 2019 | |
| 58 | ... from collisions to the Higgs boson | To study the Higgs boson at the LHC we also need to understand how highly energetic quarks and gluons interact, among themselves and with the Higgs. | Fabrizio Caola | 16 May 2019 | |
| 57 | From protons to collisions… | We learn about the Higgs Boson and its interactions at the LHC by examining the debris produced by colliding protons head-on at unprecedented high energies. | Lucian Harland-Lang | 16 May 2019 | |
| 56 | What the Large Hadron Collider is telling us about the Higgs sector and its new interactions | Over the past two years, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has started to directly probe a qualitatively new class of interactions, associated with the Higgs boson. | Gavin Salam | 16 May 2019 | |
| 55 | Why the world is simple - Prof Ard Louis | The coding theorem from algorithmic information theory (AIT) - which should be much more widely taught in Physics! - suggests that many processes in nature may be highly biased towards simple outputs. | Ard Louis | 15 Feb 2019 | |
| 54 | Topology in Biology - Prof Julia Yeomans FRS | Active systems, from cells and bacteria to flocks of birds, harvest chemical energy which they use to move and to control the complex processes needed for life. | Julia Yeomans | 15 Feb 2019 | |
| 53 | Welcome from the Head of the Physics Department | Ian Shipsey delivers the welcome speech for the Saturday Mornings of Theoretical Physics. | Ian Shipsey | 15 Feb 2019 | |
| 52 | Entropy from Entanglement | Siddharth Parameswaran, Associate Professor, Physics Department. | Siddharth Parameswaran | 03 Dec 2018 | |
| 51 | Entropy: two short stories | John Chalker, Head of Theoretical Physics, gives a talk on entropy. | John Chalker | 03 Dec 2018 | |
| 50 | Entropy: Gaining Knowledge by Admitting Ignorance | Alexander Schekochihin, Professor of Theoretical Physics, gives a talk on entropy. | Alexander Schekochihin | 03 Dec 2018 | |
| 49 | Networked Quantum Information Technologies | This talk reviews the developments in quantum information processing. | Dominic O'Brien | 06 Jul 2018 | |
| 48 | Quantum logic with trapped-ion qubits | This talk reviews testing and developing ideas in quantum computing using laser-manipulated trapped ions. | David Lucas | 06 Jul 2018 | |
| 47 | The ultimate limits of privacy and randomness...for the paranoid ones | This talk explains how qubits are used to represent numbers in a way that permits 'quantum-mechanical parallel' computing. | Artur Ekert | 06 Jul 2018 | |
| 46 | “Open” Quantum Systems | This talk reviews how to deal with quantum systems that are coupled to the outside world, as in reality all systems are. | Fabian Essler | 06 Jul 2018 | |
| 45 | Quantum Systems from Group up | This talk reviews the modern formulation of the basic ideas of quantum mechanics. | James Binney | 06 Jul 2018 | |
| 44 | Galaxy Dynamics: The chemical evolution side | Dr Ralph Schoenrich will talk about the chemical evolution side | Ralph Schoenrich | 25 Jan 2018 | |
| 43 | Galaxy Dynamics: The dynamics of galaxy discs | Dr John Magorrian will talk about the dynamics of galaxy discs | John Magorrian | 25 Jan 2018 | |
| 42 | Galaxy Dynamics: Stellar systems: a new state of matter | Prof James Binney FRS will talk about stellar systems: a new state of matter | James Binney | 25 Jan 2018 | |
| 41 | Superfluids in Flatland: Topology, Defects, and the 2016 Nobel Prize | In this talk, Siddharth Parameswaran discusses how a topological approach to 2D systems reveal that they can indeed become superfluid, and lead to surprising and beautiful universal results whose implications continue to resonate today. | Siddharth Parameswaran | 03 Nov 2017 | |
| 40 | Quantum mechanics on the human scale | Stephen Blundell reviews a theory of superconductivity that was developed in Oxford in the 1930’s by Fritz London. | Stephen Blundell | 03 Nov 2017 | |
| 39 | From Identical Particles to Frictionless Flow | John Chalker discusses how the laws of quantum mechanics lead us from the microscopic world to macroscopic phenomena. | John Chalker | 03 Nov 2017 | |
| 38 | Exploring the very early universe with gravitational waves | John March-Russell gives a talk about gravitational wave signals of stringy physics, a ‘soundscape’ connected to the landscape of string vacua. | John March-Russell | 10 May 2017 | |
| 37 | The birth of gravitational wave astronomy | Subir Sarkar reviews the detection of the ‘chirrup’ signal from a pair of merging massive black holes by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, as well as subsequent experimental developments. | Subir Sarkar | 10 May 2017 | |
| 36 | From action at a distance to gravitational waves | James Binney gives a talk about the mathematics that describe Gravitational waves. | James Binney | 10 May 2017 | |
| 35 | Kilometres: Turbulence - Morning of Theroetical Physics | Fasten Your Seat Belts: Turbulent Flows in Nature. Turbulence is ubiquitous in nature, and it often causes us headaches both literal and metaphorical. | Michael Barnes | 28 Feb 2017 | |
| 34 | Microns: The bacterial viewpoint - Morning of Theroetical Physics | Ramin Golestanian will introduce you to Life at Low Reynolds number and ask how microorganisms can swim, navigate, and coordinate their activities. | Ramin Golestanian | 28 Feb 2017 | |
| 33 | Centimetres: Fluids all around us - Morning of Theroetical Physics | Julia Yeomans will talk about fluids and flows all around us: from superhydrophobic surfaces and how animals and plants keep dry, to bouncing droplets and balloons. | Julia Yeomans | 28 Feb 2017 | |
| 32 | Topology and the Classification of Matter: New Physics Hidden in Plain Sight | Third lecture "More is different" - how states of matter emerge from quantum theory Saturday morning of Theoretical Physics. With Professor Steve Simon, introduction by Professor John WheelerThird | Steve Simon | 01 Nov 2016 | |
| 31 | Magnets, superfluids and superconductors | Second lecture "More is different" - how states of matter emerge from quantum theory Saturday morning of Theoretical Physics. With Professor Fabian Essler, introduction by Professor John Wheeler. | Fabian Essler | 01 Nov 2016 | |
| 30 | Identical particles: from one to many | First lecture in the "More is different" - how states of matter emerge from quantum theory Saturday morning of Theoretical Physics. With Professor John Chalker, introduction by Professor John Wheeler. | John Chalker | 01 Nov 2016 | |
| 29 | String Theory: Then and Now | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the ninth Saturday Morning of Theoretical Physics on 21st May 2016. Talk 1 by Professor Joseph Conlon. | Joseph Conlon | 24 May 2016 | |
| 28 | String Theory and Particle Physics | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the ninth Saturday Morning of Theoretical Physics on 21st May 2016. Talk 2 by Professor Andre Lukas. | Andre Lukas | 24 May 2016 | |
| 27 | String Theory, Holography and Quark-Gluon Plasma | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the ninth Saturday Morning of Theoretical Physics on 21st May 2016. Talk 3 by Dr Andrei Starinets. | Andrei Starinets | 24 May 2016 | |
| 26 | How computers have changed the way we do physics - Breaking through the quantum barrier | The power of available computers has now grown exponentially for many decades. The ability to discover numerically the implications of equations and models has opened our eyes to previously hidden aspects of physics. | Thorsten Wahl | 11 Feb 2016 | |
| 25 | How computers have changed the way we do physics - Structure in complex systems | The power of available computers has now grown exponentially for many decades. The ability to discover numerically the implications of equations and models has opened our eyes to previously hidden aspects of physics. | Mark Newman | 11 Feb 2016 | |
| 24 | How computers have changed the way we do physics - Chaos and climate change | The power of available computers has now grown exponentially for many decades. The ability to discover numerically the implications of equations and models has opened our eyes to previously hidden aspects of physics. | Myles Allen | 11 Feb 2016 | |
| 23 | Cosmology from General Relativity | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the eighth Saturday Morning of Theoretical Physics on 19 September 2015. Talk 3 by Pedro Ferreira. | Pedro Ferreira | 24 Sep 2015 | |
| 22 | Gravitational lensing: one of the sharpest tools in an astronomer's toolbox | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the eighth Saturday Morning of Theoretical Physics on 19 September 2015. Talk 3 by Professor James Binney. | James Binney | 24 Sep 2015 | |
| 21 | General Relativity: what is it & why Einstein conceived it thus | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the eighth Saturday Morning of Theoretical Physics on 19 September 2015. Talk 2 by Professor John Wheater. | John Wheater | 24 Sep 2015 | |
| 20 | Basics of Anyons and Nonabelian Aharanov-Bohm Effect | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 7th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the idea of quantum computation and the strange behaviour of certain types of fundamental particle. | John March-Russell | 14 May 2015 | |
| 19 | Knots, World-lines, and Topological Quantum Computation | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 7th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the idea of quantum computation and the strange behaviour of certain types of fundamental particle. | Steve Simon | 14 May 2015 | |
| 18 | Quantum Computing | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 7th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the idea of quantum computation and the strange behaviour of certain types of fundamental particle. | Andrew Steane | 14 May 2015 | |
| 17 | Searches for Dark Matter | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 6th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the ways in which ideas from theoretical particle physics guide the high energy accelerator program at CERN. | Ulrich Haisch | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 16 | Precision Studies of the Higgs | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 6th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the ways in which ideas from theoretical particle physics guide the high energy accelerator program at CERN | Giulia Zanderighi | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 15 | The Standard Model and the LHC | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 6th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the ways in which ideas from theoretical particle physics guide the high energy accelerator program at CERN. | Juan Rojo | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 14 | The impact of black holes on the Universe | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 5th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the subject of Black holes: where physics reaches its limit. | James Binney | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 13 | Black holes in the nearby Universe | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 5th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the subject of Black holes: where physics reaches its limit. | John Magorrian | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 12 | Black holes in Einstein's gravity and beyond | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 5th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the subject of Black holes: where physics reaches its limit. | Andrei Starinets | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 11 | Plasma tamed, fusion power and the theoretical challenge | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 4th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the subject of Plasmas: the normal form of matter and the key to unlimited energy. | Steven Cowley | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 10 | Creative Commons | Turbulence: Plasma Unleashed | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 4th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the subject of Plasmas: the normal form of matter and the key to unlimited energy. | Alexander Schekochihin | 24 Mar 2015 |
| 9 | Plasma: what it is, how to make it and how to hold it | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 4th morning of Theoretical Physics covering the subject of Plasmas: the normal form of matter and the key to unlimited energy. | Felix Parra-Diaz | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 8 | String Theory on the Sky | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 3rd morning of Theoretical Physics covering the connections between cosmology and particle physics. | David Marsh | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 7 | Creative Commons | Darkness Visible: The Hunt For Dark Matter | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 3rd morning of Theoretical Physics covering the connections between cosmology and particle physics. | Felix Kahlhoefer | 24 Mar 2015 |
| 6 | Creative Commons | Inner space meets outer space: Introduction | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 3rd morning of Theoretical Physics covering the connections between cosmology and particle physics. | Subir Sarkar | 24 Mar 2015 |
| 5 | Creative Commons | Motility in Living Matter: from molecular motors to bacterial swarms | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 1st morning of Theoretical Physics covering how we use field theory to understand material reality. | Julia Yeomans | 24 Mar 2015 |
| 4 | Creative Commons | Living Matter: a theoretical physics perspective | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 2nd morning of Theoretical Physics covering ideas from theoretical physics currently being applied to living systems. | Ramin Golestanian | 24 Mar 2015 |
| 3 | Making the Vacuum Concrete | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the first Saturday Morning of Theoretical Physics on 22 June 2013. The event focussed on how we use field theory to understand material reality. | Fabian Essler | 21 May 2015 | |
| 2 | Matter Emerges from the Vacuum | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 1st morning of Theoretical Physics covering how we use field theory to understand material reality. | Joseph Conlon | 24 Mar 2015 | |
| 1 | Creative Commons | The Vacuum Comes Alive | Members of the Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics hosted the 1st morning of Theoretical Physics covering how we use field theory to understand material reality. | James Binney | 24 Mar 2015 |